Mario Kart 64/Items

Most of the items featured in the original Mario Kart game were recreated in this version and a few new items were also added. Items are gained by driving through a floating question mark block.

Note: The symbol means an item can be thrown forward or backward.

Weapons

These are items that are directly used against other racers to cause them to crash or slow down.

Green Shell	Triple Green Shell	Red Shell
These are fired in a straight line and can bounce off walls. They can be fired either forward or backwards or they can be held behind the kart to defend from other projectiles. They cause an opponent to tumble when hit. They cannot be fired across gaps, lava or deep water. If a shell, either red or green, hits a banana skin, it will "die."	A bunch of three green shells which, once activated, circle the player's kart to act as a barrier against other weapons. The player can then either fire these shells as normal or choose to use them as a defensive barrier. This item is new to Mario Kart 64	Simply put, this is a "homing-missile" version of the green shell. When fired it homes in on the racer in front of the player. It is vulnerable to all the same things as a green shell with the additional weakness that it cannot bounce of walls -- if it hits a wall it will die.
Triple Red Shell	Spiny (Blue) Shell	Thunderbolt
A bunch of three red shells which, once activated, circle the player's kart to act as a barrier against other weapons. The player can then either fire these shells as normal or choose to use them as a defensive barrier. This item is new to Mario Kart 64	The most powerful of all the shell items. When fired, the Spiny Shell chases after the racer in first place. It follows the center of the track, crashing through anyone that gets in its way, until it finally crashes into the race leader. It causes the same type of crash as other shell types. The Spiny Shell is invulnerable to any kind of defense or weapon, even the Starman. This item is new to Mario Kart 64	Possibly the most destructive item in the game, but it is only available to racers who are quite far behind the race leader. The Thunderbolt causes all other racers to skid then they become tiny -- and much slower -- for a few seconds. This is very handy for catching up with other racers. Tiny racers can also be "squashed" by normal sized racers, causing them to spin out. Racers who are invincible when the lightning is fired are not affected.

Traps

These are items that are primarily dropped on the track in order to make a competitor crash into them.

Banana Peel	Bunch of Banana Peels	Fake Item Box
Sits on the track and causes any kart that drives over it to skid. They can either be dropped behind the kart or fired forwards. Bananas can also be held behind the kart to provide defense from shells.	A bunch of five Banana Peels which trail behind the kart. They can be dropped or fired in the normal way, or they can just be left trailing behind the kart to provide defense from shells. These trailing peels will also cause other racers to skid if they drive into them. This item is new to Mario Kart 64	Similar to Banana Peels, in that they can be dropped, fired or held behind the kart. They look identical to a normal item box except the question mark logo is upside down. When a racer hits one of these they crash and come to a complete stop. Most dangerous when dropped in amongst the normal item boxes. This item is new to Mario Kart 64

Power-ups

These are items that affect the user in some way (e.g., increasing kart speed).

Starman	Boo File:MarioKartWii Boo.png	Mushroom
Causes the user to become invincible in classic Super Mario Bros. style (i.e. flashing and playing the invincibility music) for a few seconds. It also causes the player's kart to be faster and handle slightly better. The only thing that can harm an invincible kart is a Spiny Shell. While invincible a player can also drive through hazards like Thwomps and pipes and will cause any racer that touches them to crash.	Makes the user invisible to other players and invulnerable to weapons for a short time. It also sends Boo to steal an item for the user from a nearby racer. Boo can be used tactically in multiplayer games.	Gives the user a brief boost of speed.
Triple Mushroom	Super (Golden) Mushroom
A bunch of three mushrooms allowing the user three separate speed boosts.	Gives the user unlimited speed boosts for a set period of time.